The Granchen-located Swiss watchmaker, Breitling, has announced the release of a special limited edition of its Chronomat 44 GMT watch. This novel timekeeper will be dedicated to the major anniversary of the country’s elite aerobatic team. Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT “Patrouille Suisse 50th Anniversary” watch is functionally the same as the basic series-produced model. However, it is distinguished by several visual traits that are included as a tribute to the famous Swiss aviation troop. Among them there is a couple of aviation-inspired details on the dial, as well as an engraving on the watch’s case-back. The latest newcomer by Breitling runs thanks to in-house B04 chronograph caliber that enables reading of the current time in three time zones. Chronomat 44 GMT “Patrouille Suisse 50th Anniversary” is issued in a restricted edition which incorporates 1,000 copies.
Major Anniversaries of the Swiss Air Force
This year is very significant for aeronautics in Switzerland because it marks a century since the foundation of the nation’s Air Force, as well as half a century of its elite aerobatics team called Patrouille Suisse. This special unit that rounds the top pilots of Switzerland was originally established back in 1964. Originally, it was comprised of four British-manufactured Hawker Hunter MK 58 jet fighters. Subsequently, the team was expanded to include five and, more recently, six airplanes. In the mid-1990s, Patrouille Suisse switched to the US F-5E Tiger II fighter aircrafts which are still in use. Patrouille Suisse team is widely renowned for the amazing aerobatics it performs around the world and it has been employing some of the world’s skillful pilots throughout a half of century of its existence.
Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT “Patrouille Suisse 50th Anniversary”
Different Only at the Surface
Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT Patrouille Suisse 50th Anniversary timekeeper distinguishes itself from the basic version of the watch by several accents on its black onyx dial with silver chronograph counters. For example, it is made with the aeronautic team’s logo which sits inside a small seconds chrono counter at the nine o’clock position. Moreover, it likewise includes a GMT hand that has its red tip in the shape of an F-5E Tiger jet, exactly the one that the Swiss team uses in its stunts. Other personalized accents included in this special edition timepiece are an engraving of the official logo used to mark the 50th anniversary of Patrouille Suisse, as well as an individual number that denotes the position of the specific model in the 1,000 piece series.
Otherwise, the commemorative Breitling shares the basic traits of a regular Chronomat 44 GMT model. It comes with a satin-brushed stainless steel housing of circular shape which possesses the diameter of 44 mm and the thickness of 16.9 mm. On the front side, the timepiece has a cambered sapphire crystal encircled with a bidirectional ratcheted bezel with inlayed Arabic numerals made of rubber. The construction of the timekeeper likewise incorporates a screw-locked and onion-shaped crown with two gaskets, as well as a solid metal rear portion, while the supported waterproofness measures to 200 meters (660 feet).
Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT “Patrouille Suisse 50th Anniversary” Watch
Proprietary Automatic Column-Wheel Chronograph Movement
Fortunately, the watch comes with a proprietary B 04 self-winding column-wheel chronograph movement that bears the chronometer-certification which is issued by the COSC. It is a 47-jeweled caliber which operates at the brand’s usual frequency of 28,800 vph and includes the standard power reserve of 70 hours. When talking about the supported functions, we should mention its 1/4th of a second accurate chronograph and an instantaneous date display feature executed via an aperture which sits between four and five o’clock positions. It likewise boasts a second time zone feature which utilizes a central GMT hand, as well as the third time zone reading which is made possible by the watch’s rotating bezel. The selection of straps that can be coupled with the anniversary Chronomat 44 GMT is restricted only to a five-link steel Pilot bracelet.
Breitling Chronomat 44 GMT “Patrouille Suisse 50th Anniversary” Watch Back
The Chronomat collection, from which the newcomer derives, also includes another previously presented timepiece which was likewise dedicated to an aerobatics troop. In this case, the watch was dedicated to the Italian Frecce Tricolori team, while the personalized model had Chronomat 44 model with Breitling B01 movement as its basis.
